News

Cats For Adoption at the Delta Community Animal Shelter

Jul 03, 2018

All Julia wanted for Thanksgiving 2017 was a home to call her own.

When that didn’t happen, the little grey tabby with the pretty green eyes thought maybe she’d find a home for Christmas. But the holidays came and went, and still Julia found herself in the care of the Delta Community Animal Shelter.

Several more holidays have now passed, and in a couple of weeks, Julia will mark 10 months at the shelter – the longest of any cat at DCAS.

“We’re not sure why Julia hasn’t found her forever home,” says shelter manager Ryan Voutilainen. “She’s 12 years old, which is senior for a cat, but she’s playful and affectionate once she gets to know you, and she’s perfectly healthy and polite. She’s ideally suited to a quiet, adult home.”

Julia isn’t the only long-term feline at the shelter. Bruce and Chinook have been in care seven months; Dingo has been waiting to go home for six months and Sufi has been looking for a home for four months. Some of the cats are seniors and others have health conditions. Voutilainen is hoping potential adopters will see past these issues and realize they’re all loving and unique cats who just want families of their own.

For the most part, maintaining the health of these animals is entirely manageable. For example, eight-year-old Bruce came in as a scrappy stray with several wounds, matted fur and broken teeth. He was also diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and must be kept indoors to avoid infecting other cats. However, Voutilainen notes that Bruce will live a long and healthy life with proper care.

“Bruce is healthy now, and his FIV is manageable with appropriate veterinary care,” assures Voutilainen.

Chinook is a diabetic who nearly died living on his own. He was trapped and brought in to DCAS in terrible shape, but his diabetes is under control and he’s ready for a new home.

Dingo is a 10-year-old Oriental short-haired cat with asthma and mild renal disease. Again, Voutilainen reiterates that these health issues are all manageable.

Finally, Sufi is a perfectly healthy 11-year-old long-haired tabby who likes a good chin rub.

“These are all great cats who deserve real homes,” said Voutilainen. “Our shelter care is excellent, but it was never intended to replace the comfort and stability of a real home. These animals have lots of love to give and they don’t understand why they haven’t been given the chance to prove it.”

Cat adoptions at DCAS are down: just seven cats were adopted in June, compared to 15 cats adopted in June 2017 and 28 cats adopted in June 2016. The number of cats surrendered to the shelter during those months also decreased, which would contribute to the decrease in adoptions.